Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesJeron Belin of St. Peter's fights to keep the ball against Purdue's JaJuan Johnson and Lewis Jackson tonight.

By Jeff CarrollFor the Star-Ledger

CHICAGO — More than anyone wearing Saint Peter’s powder-blue and navy, perhaps more than anyone else who stepped on the floor all day at one of basketball’s most prestigious addresses, Nick Leon carried the weight of the past few years into tonight.

Leon, the Peacocks’ starting point guard for four seasons, arrived in 2006, redshirting as the program won just five games. He was a major cog the next season as progress netted the Peacocks just one more victory.

Tonight, the program’s lone fifth-year senior played his final college game as the Saint Peter’s basketball renaissance ran headlong into reality, a 65-43 loss to third-seeded Purdue in both teams’ NCAA Tournament opener at United Center.

There was plenty of emotion to go around afterward. Sitting behind the postgame interview table, senior forward Ryan Bacon could not bring himself to speak above a whisper, his words barely audible even though they were spoken into a microphone. Leon, tattooed from shoulder to wrist on both arms, didn’t bother to battle his more sensitive side, speaking through tears and making no apologies for it.

“Some people probably don’t know what we’ve been through,” Leon said. “We’ve been through a lot. We put our heart on that court today. I’m not ashamed. I’m not ashamed of how we lost. We deserved to be on that court.”

“We don’t normallly face players of his stature in our conference,” forward Jeron Belin said. “He was 6-for-16, so I think we did a pretty good job.”

But what was good enough for most of the winter wasn’t good enough as the Peacocks (20-14) stepped up in competition. The Boilermakers raced to a 33-17 halftime advantage, and led by as many as 27 points in the second half.

“I was convinced coming in that we’d score the ball,” said Saint Peter’s coach John Dunne, who arrived the same year as Leon and endured the darkest days as well. “We didn’t have our best offensive night, obviously. Even though we didn’t shoot very well, it’s easy to put your head down and not defend. These guys defended for 40 minutes.”

The Peacocks were making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1995 and just the third in school history. The Boilermakers (26-7), on the other hand, won their 13th consecutive round of 64 game.

In other words, Purdue has made a habit of taking care of first-game business, first under longtime coach and current St. John’s special assistant Gene Keady and now under Matt Painter.

“Something you hope for in a 14 (vs.) 3 game is that they might overlook you,” Dunne said. “Those guys came out to play.”

Belin was the only Saint Peter’s player in double figures, scoring 12 points off the bench. Wesley Jenkins, the Peacocks’ leading scorer this season, scored eight points in his final college game on 4-of-15 shooting.

“We had a good year,” Jenkins said. “We won a MAAC championship. (But) it hurts that your college career is over.”

“I barely can speak,” Bacon rasped as a roomful of reporters grew deadly silent attempting to make out his words. “It’s hard to believe.”